More than 6,500 people have embarked on a gruelling three-day pilgrimage through the forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina, tracing the escape route taken by those who fled the 1995 massacre, in a powerful act of remembrance now in its 22nd year.
A journey through living history
The Peace March, which began on Wednesday, draws participants from across Bosnia, Herzegovina and the international community. The 100-kilometre route is not merely a physical challenge but an immersive historical reckoning. Along the way, marchers attend open-air history lessons that detail the events of July 1995, ensuring that the experiences of the victims and survivors are passed down to a new generation.
Solidarity on the road to Potocari
The route starts near the village of Nezuk in the Tuzla Canton and mirrors the treacherous path taken by thousands of Bosniaks who tried to escape the Serb forces. Over three days, a comprehensive support network sustains the column of marchers. Organisers have established camps offering medical assistance, meals, drinking water and overnight accommodation, turning the march into a moving community of solidarity and grief.
A gathering at the memorial site
The procession will reach its final destination in the village of Potocari, just outside Srebrenica, where the official commemoration will take place. It is here that the memorial complex and cemetery for the victims of the Srebrenica genocide are located, serving as the final resting place for thousands of those murdered in Europe’s worst atrocity since the World War II.
